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Terry Griffin revisits his past in state politics

Terry Griffin reminisced about his 41 years in Republican politics in Florida at the Republican Club of Longboat Key’s first meeting of the season held Oct. 9, at The Chart House.

A criminal trial lawyer, now retired, with a second career as a successful murder-mystery writer, Griffin was on the executive committee of the Young Republicans in Orange County and the Republican Party of Florida. He was a Republican convention delegate in 1976, 1988 and 1992.

“I think the modern Republican Party in Florida began in the 1970s,” he said. In the ’70s, the Republicans had 25% of the vote compared to 72% for the Democrats. By the mid-1980s, the Republicans had 39% and the Democrats 54%.

In 1988 Griffin strongly considered running for a Legislative seat. When he presented the idea to his family, his wife asked, “Could a divorced man win?” He dropped his plans.

In other business, Jim Whitman, club president, urged members to invite a Republican to lunch during a drive for new members.